What You Do is a Secret, ssshhhh!

Written by Julie Holmwood

You know what you do right? Of course you do! You know what you do inside out, backwards, upside down and sideways. It is what you do after all!

But who else have you told? What you do is a secret isn’t it? It is meant to be that way because … oh, nope, wrong dream, you are not living a James Bond’esque life. You are living YOUR life. Of course it is not a secret! You can tell ANYONE what you do!

Bob Burg says ‘It isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living’

Whatever you want to achieve in your career, wherever you want to go, whatever pinnacle you have set as your target, you are on a journey. One that takes steps every day from here to over there. What you do is your vehicle.

It stands to reason then, that the more people that know what you do, who really understand what you do, who understand it so well they can tell other people what you do, the easier that journey is going to be, right? It is like having an auto-refuel on your vehicle. You don’t even need to slow down, opportunities keep finding you!

Well, I thought that I had this down to a fine art. I am always telling people what I do. I post it on my social networking profiles, I talk about it via articles and I speak about what I do to my clients; of course they know what I do, that is what they are paying me for. I hope they know what I do!? Do you clients?

This week I had a little surprise. As I was speaking to my coach I was surprised to find that she didn’t actually know what I do. In fact her vague idea, although close in the big world picture, in a real world appropriate-introduction sense, she was quite wide of the mark. So let us take a pit-stop and I will run you through my checklist.

Are you clear on what you do?

Are you clear on what you would like to happen next in your career?

Are you able to sum both of those things up in fifty words?

Are you using those words when you’re talking to people (in general)?

Are you using those words when you’re talking to friends (specifically)?

Are you using those words when you’re talking about work at home?

You see, all of these people are your (mostly unpaid) sales force. They are the ones that go out into the world, and through the course of their daily lives connect with your opportunities. If indeed they know what you do and what you are looking to do next. It may be that you would love to be asked to speak at an event, or write a paper, or get a new job … I know you know the answer, don’t you?

If you can articulate what you do and what you want to happen next (or ultimately) then you give those that know, like and trust you the ability to sing your praises to the people that could make those things happen

Today I saw a great example on Facebook. A lady in Australia put out a cry for help by way of expertise and someone recommended a lady in the UK as the right person to contact. Would the two have ever crossed paths directly in their day-to-day lives? Maybe! In time for this opportunity to be live and possible? No, definitely not.

When what you do is the most widely known thing about you, watch out increased success, here you come!

If you would like to harness your network and enable people in your life to help you make the next step, because both you and they know what that is, then we can help you articulate your story in an easy to describe easy to memorise way. If you are not yet clear on where you are going then you are in the right place, we can help you identify your passion and your destiny. Email me now and I will work with you on a strategy … we are going to make it easy, fun and best of all, we are going to make it work for you!